South Korea exports rebound in June

KwanwooJun

SEOUL--South Korea's exports increased in June after the previous month's decline largely caused by fewer working days, government data showed on Tuesday, as the rebound was weaker than expected.

Exports in June rose 2.5% from a year earlier to $47.836 billion, following a revised 1% fall in May, according to the trade ministry. The gain in the June shipments was slower than the median 5.9% growth forecast by a Wall Street Journal survey of economists.

Imports gained 4.5% from a year earlier to $42.550 billion in June, compared with a 0.3% increase in May. The poll had forecast a 10.8% increase in June.

Trade surplus narrowed to $5.286 billion in June from the previous month's $5.31 billion. The June reading beat the poll's projection of $4.6 billion in surplus. The country's trade balance has been in the black since February 2012.

For 2013, South Korea's exports grew 2.1% while imports fell 0.8%, which produced a trade surplus of $44.09 billion. The trade ministry forecasts a 6.4% rise in exports this year.

Intraday Data provided by SIX Financial Information and subject to terms of use. Historical and current end-of-day data provided by SIX Financial Information. All quotes are in local exchange time. Real-time last sale data for U.S. stock quotes reflect trades reported through Nasdaq only. Intraday data delayed at least 15 minutes or per exchange requirements.